


Rental Boyfriend

by dragon_temeraire



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Pining, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2016-09-23
Packaged: 2018-08-16 19:41:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8115031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragon_temeraire/pseuds/dragon_temeraire
Summary: Stiles is an awkward virgin who’s never even been on a first date, so he ends up hiring a rental boyfriend to help him get some experience.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [ this](http://thealphaownsme.tumblr.com/post/110320804970/sterek-au-rental-boyfriend-it-wasnt-part-of/) awesome post.

“Scott, buddy, I’m having a personal crisis here,” Stiles says irritably.

“It’s summer, there’s no class,” Scott says distractedly, pawing through a box of video games. “What could you possibly be having a crisis about?”

“Well, I’m nineteen, soon to be starting my sophomore year of college, and I’m _still a virgin_ ,” Stiles says anxiously. “I’ve never even been in a real relationship. I thought college was supposed to be the time to experiment and have casual sex. I should have banged half the state of California by now!”

Scott raises his eyebrows. “That’s a lot of people,” he says. “Besides, it’s only the beginning of summer break, you have plenty of time to date or mess around before school starts again.”

“Yeah, but I don’t even know _how_ ,” Stiles whines. “I feel like it’s too late for me. Everyone else has experience, they know what they’re doing. My ship has sailed,” he finishes dramatically.

Scott rolls his eyes. “It’s not too late, Stiles. Didn’t Lydia give you a website to try? You know, when you were complaining about being an awkward virgin a couple of weeks ago,” he says mercilessly.

“I was _not_ ,” Stiles huffs. “Besides, being Forever Alone is a legitimate concern, okay? I have a right to be worried.”

 “It was rent-a-boyfriend, or something like that,” Scott says, ignoring him completely. “It’d give you a no-pressure kind of date, to build your confidence up. You should give it a shot,” he says encouragingly.

“Fine,” Stiles says, trying to ignore Scott’s earnestness. Maybe it is a good idea. “I’ll check it out tonight.”

 

*

 

Stiles digs around in his room until he finds the paper Lydia gave him.

 _USE THIS,_ it says in big letters across the top. Underneath is a website address with a highlighter-yellow arrow pointing to it.

He rolls his eyes. Lydia obviously knows how to get his attention.

He fires up his computer, types in the site.

 _Get A Rental Boyfriend!,_ the homepage header proclaims.

_Need a date for a reunion or wedding? Need someone to take to that awkward family dinner? Or just want all the fun of a date, but with no pressure? Then Rental Boyfriend is here for you!_

So it sounds kind of weird and cheesy, but he could see how there’d be a market for it. And since he’s here already…

He clicks on the Browse Boyfriends button, starts scrolling down the list. It’s not long before someone catches his eye.

 _Derek Hale_ , the name reads. Stiles clicks on his bio, eyeing his profile pictures dubiously. It looks like this guy put up pictures of a movie star instead of his own. And if it really is him, then he’s like, really ridiculously good looking.

Stiles reads his blurb, finds out that Derek is a photographer, and also acts as an assistant coach for the BH lacrosse team. He seems friendly and gorgeous, and Stiles can’t imagine why he has a profile on a fake-date website.

He scrolls back up the page for the pertinent details. Derek is twenty-three, bisexual, absurdly hot, and will pretend to be his boyfriend for a mere forty dollars an hour!

Still, he hesitates, staring at the picture of Derek smiling at the camera. A guy like Derek would never look twice at him, normally. Maybe this is too pathetic?

Nah.

He clicks the Select button.

He sets up a basic account, reads through the rules of the rental boyfriend (no sex, no drinking, et cetera), and the terms and conditions of the site.

He finally gets to the application that he’ll be submitting to Derek. He fills out everything, including the optional sexuality blank (he’s bi, too!), but he stares at the box that says _Why do you need a rental boyfriend?_ for a long time.

He doesn’t want to seem like a loser, doesn’t want to admit he’s never really done anything, with anyone, ever.

 _I haven’t dated anyone in a while_ , he ends up writing. _And I just want a little practice to make sure I’m not too rusty. I’d really appreciate your help with this._

He reads it over a couple of times, decides its good enough.

He hits submit.

A little message pops up a second later, informing him that Derek Hale has received his application. _Your request will be accepted or denied within three business days. Thank you for visiting Rental Boyfriend!_

Stiles sighs in relief. It’s done now, it’s out of his hands. He almost hopes Derek turns him down, so he can tell Lydia he tried, and he can stay comfortably in his inertia. So nothing has to change, and he doesn’t have to take any risks.

But if Derek does accept…

He might have a date soon!

 

*

 

Stiles spends the rest of the day hanging out with Scott, and he completely forgets all about the Rental Boyfriend thing. So it’s a bit of a shock when he checks his email that night, and sees a message that reads _Derek Hale has accepted your application!_

He feels his heart jolt, feels anticipation roll through him. This is really going to happen.

 _Please select the date and time that works best for you_ , the message continues in smaller print. _The quicker your selection, the sooner your Rental Boyfriend is confirmed!_

Then, underneath all his scheduling options, is a personal message from Derek. _Hey, Stiles! Thanks for choosing me for your RB needs. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to go to the Hills Grill for our date. Since you want this to be practice, I will do my best to be a good date for you, to help you get in the groove again. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!_

Derek goes on to suggest that they meet up in the park across from the restaurant, so they can get to know each other a little before the meal. That sounds like a good idea to Stiles, who’s always been a little awkward in social situations, so he readily agrees.

He sends off his message, along with his preferred day, and sits back to wait.

It’s not long before he gets a response. _Derek Hale has confirmed your request! Your rental time is estimated to be two (2) hours._

Oh god, Stiles thinks, leaning back in his chair. He actually has a date on Friday. He quickly scrolls down to see the rest of the message.

 _You didn’t put a picture on your profile_ , Derek’s section says. _So how will I recognize you?_

Stiles thinks for a moment, running through his collection of geeky merchandise and weird hats. None of it is really date-appropriate, though, and despite the fact that he’s paying Derek, he still wants to make a good impression.

He spins around in his chair, and his dresser catches his eye.

 _I’ll be wearing an orange and blue striped shirt_ , he types. Because hey, it’s a collared shirt, it’s nice enough. And it’ll be…distinctive.

 _Excellent,_ Derek’s next email says. _I’ll certainly have no trouble spotting you in a crowd. See you Friday!_

Stiles reads the message and grins. At least he knows Derek has a sense of humor.

   

*

 

Stiles had picked six o’clock for their date, but he’s a little anxious about it, so he ends up at Agusta park by five-thirty. Getting ready hadn’t taken as long as he’d expected, mostly because he really didn’t have to stress about what to wear.

He sits down on a bench, and messes with his phone to distract himself. He’s tempted to call Scott for a pep talk, but he resists. He’ll be fine.

He must lose track of time, because there’s suddenly someone standing in front of him. “You must be Stiles,” a voice says.

He looks up, and feels his mouth drop open in shock. He’d sort of suspected Derek of photoshopping his account pictures, but boy, was he ever wrong. If anything, Derek looks _even better_ in person. “Uh, yeah,” he manages to say. “You must be Derek.”

Derek gives him a smile so beautiful, he’s pretty sure his heart momentarily stops beating. “Yeah, nice to meet you,” he says, holding out his hand.

“Oh,” Stiles says, jumping up from the bench and nervously shaking it. “You look even better than I expected,” his stupid mouth says before his brain can manage to stop it.

Luckily, Derek just laughs. “Some of those pictures are pretty old,” he concedes. “A lot of them are from my sister, but most of the ones she gave me were horribly embarrassing. So I didn’t have a lot of options,” he finishes with a wink. “Sorry if you felt misled.”

“Oh, no, not at all,” Stiles hurries to say, grinning.

“Good,” Derek says, he extends his hand again, but this time with his fingers spread. “If you want?” he asks, gesturing to the restaurant.

Oh, Stiles wants. He slides his hand into Derek’s, belatedly hopes his palm isn’t too clammy.

If it is, Derek doesn’t seem to mind.

He squeezes Stiles’ hand as they walk over to the Grill, and when they get inside, he makes sure they get a quiet, secluded table.

The perfect date spot, really. Derek clearly knows what he’s doing, and Stiles is grateful that at least one of them does.

The conversation runs easy and smooth, and Derek is attentive and affectionate.

Stiles tells him about his first year at BH Tech, about the classes he wants to take, and about how cool it is to go to the same school as his best friend.

Derek talks about working as an assistant coach, and how surprisingly competitive high schoolers can be. Assures him that Coach Finstock has lost none of his unique charm. And tells Stiles how much he enjoys being outside, enjoys being involved. It’s how he became interested in photography in the first place.

He laughs at Stiles’ jokes, gets his geeky references, and seems genuinely interested the things he says.

Stiles realizes part way through that he now has the standard for a perfect date, and he’s afraid nothing else is ever going to measure up.

This date has ruined him for all other dates, and it’s _not even real_.

Derek takes the check, (and though Stiles knows it’s technically _him_ who paid, via Derek’s fees), it still gives him a nice feeling.

Derek takes his hand again, walks him out to his jeep. Stiles figures he’ll just get a quick goodbye, so he’s shocked when Derek leans in and gives him a soft kiss on the cheek. He can feel the rasp of Derek’s stubble, and it makes him feel tingly all the way down to his toes. 

“I had a good time,” Derek says, smiling. “Good night, Stiles.”

“Good night,” Stiles repeats distractedly, watching him go, still caught on the sensation of Derek’s lips against his skin.

He goes home feeling elated, and it’s hard to resist telling everyone about how great Derek is. He almost calls Scott a couple of times, but eventually just puts the phone on his desk, and goes down stairs to watch a movie.

When he goes up to his room a few hours later, there’s an email waiting for him.

The first part is a review of his statement of charges, but he quickly skips past that, scrolling down to see if there’s a message from Derek.

_You did great, I didn’t think you were rusty at all. You don’t have anything to worry about if you want to start dating again._

Wow, Stiles thinks, idly rolling the mouse wheel. He actually thought I knew what I was doing. But he probably thinks I just got out of a long-term relationship.

Well, it’s a relief to know he didn’t embarrass himself, that it’s not so obvious to strangers that he’s an awkward virgin.

He closes the email, thinking that will be the end of it.

Still, he’d really like to see Derek again…

 

*

 

Stiles lasts two whole days before he caves.

He pulls up Derek’s profile, pretending it’s just to see if he added any new photos. Then his hand slips, and he accidentally clicks on the Schedule button. Oops.

 _Hey, Derek_ , he starts to type before he can lose his nerve. _I’m glad you thought I was good to go, but I’d like to set up another date. Maybe you could give me some tips or advice, since it’s been a while for me. Feel free to pick the restaurant._

There, that doesn’t sound too weird, he thinks.

He hits the submit button, then proceeds to stress about it for the rest of the night.

He’s so obvious, his dad asks him if he’s okay three different times. Stiles finds he doesn’t want to admit that he’s afraid his rental boyfriend won’t accept a second date with him.

That’d be a new low, not being able to get even a _fake_ date.

He nervously checks his email before bed, but there’s nothing.

He eventually falls asleep, but he’s restless all night, and he gets up early, tired of tossing and turning. He feels ridiculous, but he checks his email right away.

_Derek Hale has accepted your request._

Stiles heaves a sigh of relief, then crawls back into bed.

 

*

 

They end up going to the diner on 5th, which happens to be one of Stiles’ favorite places to eat. He informs Derek of this as he gleefully orders an extra-large basket of curly fries.

Derek’s never been, just saw the place on his drive home, and wanted to try it out. Stiles assures him that he’s more than qualified to recommend things on the menu.

Stiles pushes his basket to the middle of the table, offering to share with Derek while they wait for the rest of their order. “So, I gotta ask,” he says, popping another fry into his mouth. “What would make a guy like you put a profile on Rental Boyfriend?”

“Well, my sister Cora has been trying to start her own business, and I told her I’d contribute something in support, you know? But I’m an assistant coach. And while I love photography, it’s not always a consistent source of money. So the Rental Boyfriend thing seemed like a good fit for what I wanted.”

Stiles nods. “You’d get flexible hours, doing this.”

“Yeah, I can do it around my other jobs. It has been interesting, though. Once, I was hired as both the wedding photographer, _and_ the date of one of the bridesmaids. That was quite a night,” Derek says, shaking his head.

“I’ll bet,” Stiles says, laughing. “What kind of business is your sister wanting to start?”

“A bakery,” Derek says, grinning. “It’s just what we need in this town: more pastries.”

“That’s really nice of you, though,” Stiles says.

“I try to be a good brother. And hey, I’m almost done with the Rental Boyfriend thing, anyway. Just a few more months, and I should have enough,” Derek says.

“Guess I got lucky, then,” Stiles says. “And you’ll have to let me know when this bakery opens, I’m a real sucker for baked goods.”

Derek grins. “You can count on it,” he says.

 

*

 

Stiles thinks that will be it, and he’ll be fine.

Then he hangs out with his friends, sees them snuggling and kissing and making cute date plans, and he breaks. He’s suddenly longing to see Derek again.

He almost talks himself out of it, then he sees the recap email from Derek. The first part is the usual charges, but he pays that no mind, more interested in the message at the bottom.

 _Hey, Stiles_ , it reads. _Sorry we didn’t get to talk about dating advice as much as I intended to. I was having a lot of fun, and I got sidetracked._

_But I had a really nice time with you._

Stiles feels warm all over when he reads that, and it makes his heart flutter pleasantly.

He clicks the reply button before he can stop himself. Besides, he reasons, Derek is going to be quitting soon. Stiles has a limited window of opportunity here, he might as well use it.

 _Hey, Derek,_ he types. _Don’t worry about it, everything worked out fine. I had a nice time, too. And I have a bit of an unusual request for you._

_My dad’s been joking lately that I’m not really bisexual, because he never sees me dating guys._

His dad has done no such thing, but Stiles isn’t above using a little subterfuge as an excuse for another date with Derek.

_So, I just want us to walk past his work several times, holding hands and looking cute together. It’s downtown, so we can go get some ice cream afterward._

The response doesn’t come in until the next morning. _Hey, as long as he’s not going to get aggressive, I’m in_ , Derek’s answer reads.

 _Oh, nothing like that!_ Stiles hurriedly types, feeling a little guilty for making his dad sound like a bad guy. _I would never put you in a dangerous situation. I’m just trying to prove a point to him, you know? (And get a little of Molly’s homemade ice cream while I’m at it.)_

Derek’s reply is short and sweet. _Sounds like a plan. See you Tuesday._

Stiles can’t wait. This whole rental boyfriend idea has been great, and he really needs to thank Lydia. And maybe Scott, too.

He shuts down his computer, and whistles cheerfully on his way down the stairs.

 

*

 

Derek meets him at the fountain in the town square, and he smiles brightly when he sees Stiles.

“Hey, Derek,” Stiles greets cheerfully. “You ready for this? I want your best game face.”

Derek laughs. “Game face?”

“Yeah, I want it to look good when we go by,” Stiles explains. “So I kinda need you to gaze adoringly at me, like I’m a real catch. Like I’m the greatest thing you’ve ever seen.”

“Shouldn’t be too difficult,” Derek says, grinning. He offers Stiles his hand. “Which way are we going?”

Trying not to blush, Stiles slides his palm against Derek’s, linking their fingers together. Derek is way too good at this fake boyfriend thing. “This way,” he says, gently squeezing Derek’s hand. “I figure we should do a couple of laps, make sure he sees us.”

“Seems reasonable,” Derek says. “And by then we’ll be ready to go for ice cream, anyway.”

Stiles laughs. “Little do you know, I’m always ready for ice cream.”

Derek plays his role very well. He’s so busy listening attentively and sending loving looks Stiles’ way, he doesn’t really pay much attention to their surroundings. It takes him three laps to notice which building they keep passing.

“Wait a minute,” he says when Stiles slows them down in front of the police station, letting them linger a moment. He really does want his dad to see him holding hands with Derek. “Does your dad work here?”

“Um, yeah,” Stiles says. He’s not sure if he should mention that his dad is the Sheriff. He doesn’t want to scare Derek off. “Something like that.”

Derek nods. “I did some photography for one of the deputies, and he was a pretty cool guy,” he says. “He had this really incredible flower garden, and he wanted some professional pictures taken of it.”

“What, really?” Stiles says, because he knows all the deputies, and he can’t imagine any of them cultivating a garden of any kind. “Who was it?”

“Yes, really,” Derek says, laughing. “I think his name was…Parrish?”

“Oh my god, no way,” Stiles blurts, eyes wide. “It’s _Jordan?_ This is the greatest thing ever!” Because Jordan’s been a little standoffish since the whole trashcan-fire incident, and now Stiles knows how to get back in his good graces. He’s gonna buy Jordan a _plant._ A really nice one.

Derek raises his eyebrows. “I guess you would know everyone that works there, huh?” he says thoughtfully. “Seriously though, the shoot went great, and I got some really amazing pictures. I could show you some time, if you wanted,” he finishes casually.

“Yeah, that’d be awesome,” Stiles says, squeezing Derek’s hand. “I’d love to see any of the pictures you’ve taken.”

Stiles asks more questions about Derek’s photography, and he tells Stiles about some of the other local jobs he’s done, and the interesting people he’s met. He confides that a large portion of his jobs are actually pet pictures. People want photos of their dogs far more often than pictures of their children, he’s found.

Stiles laughs at that. He decides that it’s their final lap, and steers them toward the ice cream instead of the station.

Derek tells him how much he loves photography, and that he has a wall in his living room reserved for the best pictures he’s taken.

“Your own personal gallery,” Stiles says, nodding.

“Yeah. Laura jokingly calls it the wall of ego, but I think that’s mostly because her picture isn’t on it. That’s not why I have it, though. It’s mostly just to inspire me to keep working, you know? Keep trying to take better pictures.”

“That sounds really cool, actually,” Stiles says, pushing open the door to Molly’s. He tends to create collages of things on his wall, especially when he’s trying to figure something out, but it’s certainly not art. No matter how color-coded it is.

“Yeah? You should definitely come see it, then,” Derek says, following him up to the counter.

“For sure,” Stiles says, imagining for a moment that Derek really is his boyfriend, and would actually want him to come over.

He’s distracted from saying anything else, though, when he catches a glimpse of the ice cream through the glass-fronted freezers. He immediately starts scanning for new flavors, licking his lips. When he glances over, Derek seems similarly occupied.

For a guy who obviously works out and takes care of himself, Derek is surprisingly amenable to getting ice cream. But hey, you gotta treat yourself sometimes, right?

Since the new flavors (Basil Strawberry Breeze and Coffee Pistachio Surprise) aren’t doing it for him, he gets his usual scoop of Oreo Cookie-Dough Blast.

He can’t help grinning when Derek glances at his portion, then orders two scoops of Triple Chocolate Fudge. He looks truly delighted when he’s handed his impressively heaped bowl.

Stiles sticks his spoon into his ice cream, then hands Derek one. “I may have forgot to mention their huge servings,” he says, smirking.

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Derek says cheerfully.

“Doesn’t look like it,” Stiles says, laughing. He turns, about to sit down, when Derek’s hand curls around his elbow, gently squeezing.

“Come on, it’s a nice evening. Let’s sit outside,” he says, giving Stiles a fond look.

Stiles almost says _yeah,_ _it’ll be more romantic if we sit outside_ , almost says _you don’t have to pretend you think I’m the greatest anymore_ , but he decides not to. He doesn’t really want Derek to stop.

Despite the warm air, Derek sits close, making a point of scooting his chair next to Stiles’. Their shoulders brush when he sits down, and Stiles can’t help leaning into it. Derek even offers him a taste of his ice cream, holding his spoon out with a little smile. Stiles offers some of his own in return.

It’s all sickeningly cute, and if Stiles wasn’t personally involved, he would be disgusted.

But since he _is_ involved, he just basks in it, imagining that this must be what being in a relationship feels like. He wonders if he’ll ever find someone as great as Derek.

He thinks not.

Obviously still acting in his role as Perfect Boyfriend, Derek holds his hand on the leisurely walk back to their cars, his thumb stroking lightly across Stiles’ wrist. And he keeps giving Stiles these warm, lingering looks, his eyes soft and his lips curled into a tiny smile.

Stiles feels it all the way down to his toes every time he catches Derek doing it.

They get to his jeep first, and before Stiles can say anything, Derek is pulling him into a tight hug. He’s taken by surprise, but he quickly hugs Derek back, his face tucked into Derek’s shoulder. Derek pulls away slowly, and as he does, he presses a tiny kiss to the edge of Stiles’ jaw.

At first, Stiles just stands there, mouth open, feeling tingly all over. By the time he rallies enough to say something, though, Derek is already opening the door to the Camaro.

“Good night, Stiles,” he calls as he climbs in.

“Good night,” Stiles echoes softly, listening to the rumble of the Camaro starting up. He hops in the jeep, then rolls his eyes when he catches a glimpse of his own ridiculous smile in the rearview mirror.

 

*

 

“Stiles,” his dad calls as he walks into the house. “Did I happen to see you walking with a handsome gentleman this evening?”

Stiles smirks, pauses at the foot of the stairs. “You might have, if this was the 1920s,” he says, starting to climb up.

“ _Stiles_ ,” his dad calls again, and he halts, half-way up this time. “It’s good to see you dating. But if it gets serious, I expect to see that young man at dinner,” he says firmly.

“Sure,” Stiles promises. “ _If_.”

It’ll never happen, so he’s not too worried about it.

 

*

 

“So,” Lydia says, settling back in her chair like she’s ready for a photoshoot. Stiles is routinely jealous of her composure. “How did your rental date go?”

“I think I’m in love,” Stiles blurts out, thinking of last night. Then he realizes his mistake and immediately clamps his jaw shut. It’s too late, though.

“Stiles,” she says in a low, dangerous tone. “Exactly how many dates have you been on?”

“Well,” Stiles says, hedging. “It might have been three. Possibly. And I might be going on a fourth one. You know, maybe.”

Lydia’s eyes widen, and she quickly grabs her phone, completely ignoring anything else Stiles says as she dials. “Scott, I need you to get over here. Your best friend did something stupid,” she says, looking directly at Stiles then.

He tries not to be offended when he distinctly hears Scott say, “What, again?” through the speaker.

“Yes, so get over here,” Lydia says shortly, then hangs up. “We’re going to wait for him, because I don’t want to have to repeat everything,” she says to Stiles.

“But why—” he tries, but breaks off at Lydia’s glare.

Fine.

He’ll sit here in silence. Might as well use the time to imagine what he and Derek will do on their next date. Maybe something more traditional, like a movie? Or maybe the arcade, instead?

There’s just so many possibilities…

Scott’s arrival rudely interrupts his daydreaming.

“Hey,” he says, giving them both confused looks, before flopping down on the couch. “What’s going on?”

“Stiles finally told me that he used the Rental Boyfriend service I found for him,” Lydia tells Scott.

“Oh, cool bro,” Scott says, grinning. “How did it go?”

“Great,” Stiles says, equally cheerful. If he had his choice, the conversation would end right here, and everything would be fine. It’s not really his choice, though.

“Except,” Lydia says, expression serious. “That he’s gone on three dates with this guy. And he’s falling in love with him.”

“I can’t help it,” Stiles protests. “Derek is like, practically perfect in every way. He’s smart and funny, and he always understands what I’m talking about. He even laughs at my jokes!”

Lydia sighs. “Stiles, that was part of his job as a rental boyfriend,” she says firmly. “He was supposed to give you a positive experience. So of course he’s going to laugh at your jokes.”

“Yeah, but…it felt so real,” Stiles says helplessly. “It’s been amazing, going on these dates with him. I really think I’m falling for him,” he finishes quietly.

Scott sits up at that. “Dude, for real? Exactly how much time have you been spending with him?”                                          

Stiles hesitates, but he doesn’t want to lie to his friends. “Well, each of our dates has been a couple of hours. And sometimes we, you know, email back and forth,” he says, trailing off when Scott sighs and rubs a hand over his face.

Lydia smirks. “And he’s planning to go on a fourth date soon.” Her voice says _he’s your friend, he’s your problem_ , but in the nicest way possible.

Scott pinches the bridge of his nose. “Look, you can’t do this anymore,” he says, dropping his hand and looking Stiles right in the eye. “Message him or whatever, but stop paying for dates with this guy. You’ll find someone. Someone _real_ ,” he says encouragingly.

“Easy for you to say, Mr. I-found-the-love-of-my-life-in-high-school,” Stiles scoffs. “It doesn’t work that way for everyone else.”

Lydia rolls her eyes, flicks her hair off her shoulder. “Scott’s right, though. You don’t know what Derek’s really like, who he is when you’re not paying him. I know it’s your first taste of a relationship, of someone being interested in you. But it’s not healthy for you to get fixated like this, because it’s _not real_.”

Stiles stares her down, wanting to argue, but he knows they’re both right. Still, he feels like, if they just _met_ Derek, then they’d totally understand where he’s coming from. “Fine,” he concedes, even though the thought of never seeing Derek again makes his stomach ache.

Well, if he has to end it, he’s getting that fourth date before he does.

They can’t stop him.

 

*

 

Except, apparently, he’s _not._

He pulls up his email that night, and the message catches his eye right away.

_Derek Hale has declined your request._

His heart drops, and it’s suddenly hard to breathe.

He’s not sure he wants to know why he was turned down, but he ends up opening the email anyway.

Derek’s response is short. _If you want to know why, meet me at Augsta park this Friday, at 6:30._

Stiles reads it over a couple of times, like he’ll somehow be able to divine extra meaning from that one sentence. Is Derek onto him? Does he know how Stiles feels about him? Is he weirded out by it?

He briefly deliberates on not showing up, but quickly rejects that notion. He wants to see Derek one last time, regardless of the reason. And at least he’ll have closure, he comforts himself.

It doesn’t really make him feel better.

He closes the email, shuts down his computer. He doesn’t really want to think about this any more tonight.

In fact, he’s not even going to think about Derek at all until Friday. He’s not.

He ends up lying awake half the night anyway.

 

*

 

He sort of wants to call Scott, but he also knows Scott would think this was a step in the right direction, and Stiles just isn’t in the mood for that kind of optimism.

Still, his stomach is churning, because he really wants to see Derek, but he’s also afraid of being _hurt_ by Derek.

And it makes him hesitate, makes him resist even climbing out of the jeep.

But, he reasons, he doesn’t even know why Derek wants to meet. Maybe he wants to offer Stiles a bonus date, on the house, because he’s a repeat customer.

Yeah, right.

Well, he might as well find out. He pushes open the door, tugs nervously at the bottom of his shirt. He wipes his sweaty palms on his jeans and runs a shaky hand through his hair.

He looks good enough, and he can’t put this off any longer.

He’s here pretty early, and it gives him a sense of déjà vu as he walks over.

Except that this time, Derek’s the one already sitting on the bench, waiting.

He hastily stands when he sees Stiles, gives him a tight smile. “Hey,” he says, sounding nervous. “I’m sorry I declined your request, but I felt like I had to.”

Stiles swallows thickly. “Can I ask why?”

“It just didn’t feel right,” Derek says, and Stiles feels his heart plummet.

Derek continues before he can say anything, though.

“It didn’t feel right,” Derek says hesitantly, “to charge you for something I wanted to do anyway.”

“Um, what?” Stiles says eloquently.

“I really like you, Stiles. I liked you from the very first date. You were so smart, so funny, and I realized that I really did want to go out with you. But I wanted it to be _real_ ,” Derek says, taking a deep breath. “So I declined your request. I ended our professional relationship and invited you here, hoping I’d get the chance to ask you out.”

“Wait,” Stiles blurts. “You mean you weren’t acting on those dates? You actually liked my jokes, liked spending time with me?”

“Yes, I really did,” Derek says, smiling a little. “Every minute of it.”

Stiles grins, thinking _Ha! Suck it, Scott and Lydia!_

“It definitely wasn’t an act,” Derek continues. “I was thrilled when you kept requesting me, because it meant I got to see you again. But I knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere if you thought it was all fake.”

“Oh,” Stiles says, staring at Derek’s sincere expression. He feels strangely warm, like he’s blushing all over, and his heart feels buoyant, now.

“So, um,” Derek says, nervously scratching the back of his neck. “Would you be interested in going out sometime?”

Stiles nervously clears his throat. “Well, before I say yes, I think you should know that I haven’t been completely honest with you. I’ve never actually been in a relationship before, and I’m a virgin,” he says quickly. “So while I would love to date you, I don’t really know what I’m doing.”

“That’s okay,” Derek says with a smile, his expression soft. “It’s been more than six months since I went on a date that wasn’t a job.” He steps closer, slides his hand against Stiles’ neck, his thumb stroking his cheek. “We can figure it out together.”

“That sounds good,” Stiles says, feeling a little breathless, and slides his arms around Derek’s waist. “Together.”

Derek leans in and kisses him then, sweet and lingering. Stiles sighs into it, and feels contentment wash through him. He knows this is real.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to come by and prompt me/talk to me [ on tumblr](http://dragon-temeraire.tumblr.com/).


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